China and North Korea open long-delayed New Yalu River Bridge

Chinese Premier Li Qiang and North Korean Premier Pak Thae Song officially opened the long-delayed New Yalu River Bridge on Oct. 15, launching a major land crossing for freight and passenger transport between the two nations.

The four-lane, three-kilometer road bridge connects Dandong New Zone in China's Liaoning province to the border city of Sinuiju in North Korea. Video broadcast by state media showed trucks adorned with national flags crossing the bridge, which was festooned with Chinese and North Korean banners for the ceremony.

China finished construction on its section of the crossing around 2014. However, operations were delayed for 12 years because North Korea had not built the corresponding customs facilities in Sinuiju. The extended holdup drew criticism in Chinese state-aligned media, including the Global Times, which published sharp comments from Dandong residents who had waited for the bridge to boost local trade.

In a video message reported by Xinhua News Agency, Li described the span as a "new landmark" of the countries' "traditional friendship" and encouraged both governments to deepen border connectivity and economic cooperation. Pak also delivered a video address during the broadcast.

The new route will relieve pressure on the aging Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge, a structure that carries both a railway and single-lane vehicle traffic. Chinese official data indicates that the older bridge currently handles more than 70 percent of official trade between China and North Korea. South Korean government records count at least 17 active road and rail crossings along the 1,400-kilometer bilateral border.

China remains North Korea's principal economic partner, representing about 98 percent of North Korea's total external trade last year. Chinese exports to North Korea rose 25 percent in 2025 to $2.3 billion. The opening comes about a month after North Korea launched a separate road bridge connecting its territory to Russia.